MarEx eNewsletter - December 30, 2009

December 30th, 2009 Vol. 7, No. 52 The Year in Review: MarEx Defined the Issues and Set the Pace A month-by-month selection of our lead editorials, critiquing and chronicling the major maritime issues of the year, as seen and reported by MarEx Editor in Chief Joseph A. Keefe. As the deadline for this e-newsletter began to loom large in my RADAR scope, I nevertheless took a ... Read More>>>Back to Top MarEx Mailbag This week's mailbag contains something just a little bit different. Although not addressing any article in our online and/or print editions, it does touch upon a hot-button issue of the day. This week, we received just one letter, but not one addressing last week's lead piece. Instead, ... Read More>>>Back to Top A Report Card on DHS Security Policies, Standards and Programs Part 3 of 5: a look at CBP's Sealed-Door Standard and the RFID Standard. By Dr. Jim Giermanski, Chairman of Powers Global Holdings, Inc. and President of Powers International, LLC, an international transportation security company. "…there is currently no proven technology which can address transshipped containers…" ( ... Read More>>>Back to Top Holiday Greetings from THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE MarEx staff extends best wishes to our readers, contributors and advertisers for a safe, prosperous and happy holiday season and New Year. All the best from the MarEx family to yours at this, the most joyous time of the year. We look forward to bringing you another ... Read More>>>Back to Top Sean Connaughton Chosen to be VA Transportation Secretary Former MARAD Chief to lead the Commonwealth as it faces massive budget shortfall and serious multi-modal transportation challenges. Virginia's incoming governor, Robert F. McDonnell (R), this week named Sean Connaughton to manage the state's ports, rail and surface road infrastructure. The former chairman of the Prince William ... Read More>>>Back to Top Cummins Hotips: #577 A Purpose Designed Dipper Dredge. In the past dipper dredges have often been cobbled together with machinery designed to work in a terrestrial environment. When working in a marine environment their useful life is severely limited by the saltwater environs. Now the Netherlands's Yard De Donge have ... Read More>>>Back to Top Making UN Security Council Resolution 1540 Work: Governments Should Not Overlook Third-Party Commercial Help in Stopping WMD Proliferation. Commercial activity and equipment of trusted third-party providers should not be overlooked by governments when taking stock of their internal efforts to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1540. Adopted in April, ... Read More>>>Back to Top Announcing gTrax! – AIS Vessel Tracking for the iPhone gCpatain.com has teamed up with the good folks at Maritime Information Systems (MIS), the leading US provider of vessel tracking solutions to the maritime industry, to bring you gTrax, Vessel Tracking For The iPhone. gTrax harnesses MIS's network of redundant secure, Automatic Identification System (AIS), antennas ... Read More>>>Back to Top Featured MarEx Print Article: Winston & Strawn Partner Larry Kiern's Washington Insider Column, taken from our December print edition, is featured in this week's MarEx E-newsletter Please click HERE to view the Washington Insider's column from the latest edition of The Maritime Executive. Winston & Strawn partner Larry Kiern reports ... Read More>>>Back to Top Nation's Ocean Observing System Completes Year-Long Data Standardization Water & Weather Data Clear and Consistent Across All U.S. Regions. December 28, 2009: As of this month, mariners, coastal managers, and many other users seeking timely and tailored ocean and Great Lakes conditions are now able to access standardized data sets across all U.S. regions. This ... Read More>>>Back to Top MITAGS to Offer Deck & Engine Coast Guard Preparation Courses Offerings reflect industry demand and will be given at the MITAGS Campus. • Engine Department In response to requests, MITAGS has scheduled two, unlicensed engine department Coast Guard Exam Preparation Courses in 2010. An unlimited 3rd Assistant Prep Course can be schedule for six ... Read More>>>Back to Top Maritime Casualties--December 30, 2009 Multiple Pirate Attacks • Pirates Hijack Three Vessels and Release Chinese Ship Pirates have successfully hijacked three more vessels off the lawless Somali coast; a Yemeni freighter, a Greek-flagged bulk carrier and a UK-flagged chemical tanker. The chemical tanker, St. James ... Read More>>>Back to Top EMAIL UNSUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2009 The Maritime Executive. 3200 S. Andrews Avenue, Suite 100 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

MarEx eNewsletter - December 23, 2009

December 23rd, 2009 Vol. 7, No. 51 Holiday Greetings from THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE MarEx staff extends best wishes to our readers, contributors and advertisers for a safe, prosperous and happy holiday season and New Year. All the best from the MarEx family to yours at this, the most joyous time of the year. We look forward to bringing you another ... Read More>>>Back to Top A Report Card on DHS Security Policies, Standards and Programs Part 2 of 5: a look at CBP's Container Management Standard; and CSI and The 24-hours Manifest. By Dr. Jim Giermanski, Chairman of Powers Global Holdings, Inc. and President of Powers International, LLC, an international transportation security company. "…there is currently no proven technology which can address ... Read More>>>Back to Top Retail Container Volume Expected to End Two Years of Declines "The second half of 2009 has seen an improvement with 'less bad' year-over-year numbers compared with the first half," IHS Global Insight Economist Paul Bingham said. WASHINGTON, December 22, 2009 –After more than two and a half years of year-over-year declines, import cargo volume at the nation's ... Read More>>>Back to Top Obama to Nominate VADM Papp as Next Commandant of Coast Guard Secretary Napolitano Applauds President's intent to nominate Vice Admiral Robert J.Papp, Jr., as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. WASHINGTON—Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today applauded President Obama's intent to nominate Vice Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. ... Read More>>>Back to Top NTSB Safety Recommendation M-09-18 December 15, 2009: The National Transportation Safety Board makes the following safety recommendation to Atlanship: Provide your officers recurrent training in the principles of bridge resource management that encourage and emphasize correct and unambiguous communication, information management, role responsibility, and contingency planning. According to NTSB, the recommendation ... Read More>>>Back to Top Top 11 Videos of 2009 Highlight Coast Guard's 11 Missions WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard released Wednesday its top 11 video compilation for 2009, highlighting the year's most compelling cases from the work done every day by America's Guardians. The top 11 video compilation (presented in no particular order) is available for viewing and downloading from ... Read More>>>Back to Top Coast Guard Patrol Boat and Recreational Vessel Collide in San Diego Incident marks second such event in less than one month; similar collision occurred in Charleston, SC on December 5th. NTSB investigating both accidents. According to an official U.S. Coast Guard press release, a 33-foot Coast Guard boat and a recreational vessel collided in San Diego Bay ... Read More>>>Back to Top Eastern Shipbuilding and LaBorde Marine, LLC Showcase M/V "GenieLab" at Workboat Celebration on board new, high-tech vessel highlights the capabilities of both firms and puts perfect exclamation point on a successful week in New Orleans. At this month's Workboat Show in New Orleans, perhaps no other party – celebrating the completion of the M/V GenieLab – dialed into ... Read More>>>Back to Top U.S. DOJ: VA Resident Charged with Conspiring to Bribe Former Panamanian Government Officials for Maritime Contract A federal grand jury has charged a Virginia Beach, Va., resident with conspiracy to pay bribes to former Panamanian government officials to secure maritime contracts. John W. Warwick, 63, yesterday was charged in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia with conspiring to make corrupt payments to ... Read More>>>Back to Top Maritime Casualties--December 23, 2009 Rescue efforts continue after cargo ship sinks off Lebanese coast and Indian tanker repels attack • Cargo Ship Sinks Off Lebanese Coast, 12 Dead A Panamanian-flagged cargo ship, carrying more than 80 people and livestock, capsized and sank off the Lebanese coast last Thursday. ... Read More>>>Back to Top WA Department of Ecology Fines Vessel Firms for Spilling Oil, Avoiding Cleanup Fines totaling $33,250 against two companies whose ships spilled oil while loading and unloading cargo at state ports in March 2009. OLYMPIA (December 11th): Vessels and ships doing business at Washington's 16 busiest ports in Puget Sound, Columbia River and Grays Harbor generate an estimated $150 billion ... Read More>>>Back to Top PLANETDATA/MARITIME SECURITY NEWS PlanetData - The Security News Network is a free news and information resource focused on maritime, global, corporate, cyber, homeland and aviation security, law enforcement and intelligence. PlanetData hosts timely and comprehensive content gathered from over 1,000 online sources, as well as from our editors, contributors and members. This newsletter ... Read More>>>Back to Top Navy Bids Farewell to USNS San Jose Military Sealift Command combat stores ship USNS San Jose marked the close of 39 years of service to the Navy fleet in a shipboard ceremony last Thursday in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The event paid tribute to the ship and the hundreds of sailors and civil service mariners ... Read More>>>Back to Top CMA Curriculum Unchanged California Maritime Academy's Doug Webster insists, "The Marine Transportation (MT) major program at The California Maritime Academy is alive and thriving and there are no plans for its closure, despite erroneous reports in the media." According to Webster, and in a classic example of the old game ... Read More>>>Back to Top MITAGS to Offer Deck & Engine Coast Guard Preparation Courses Offerings reflect industry demand and will be given at the MITAGS Campus. • Engine Department In response to requests, MITAGS has scheduled two, unlicensed engine department Coast Guard Exam Preparation Courses in 2010. An unlimited 3rd Assistant Prep Course can be schedule for six ... Read More>>>Back to Top U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert: 09-09 Navigation Lights – "Maintaining Distinctive Character" The Coast Guard recognizes that many vessel owners choose to place decorative lights onboard their vessels during the Holiday season. The Coast Guard strongly reminds vessel owners not to illuminate such lights during routine navigation unless operating in a Holiday boat ... Read More>>>Back to Top Coast Guard Reinstates Palm Beach Princess' Certificate of Compliance Move follows Panamanian Maritime Authority's decision to reclassify the ship to operate on two auxiliary engines. New certificate of compliance comes with requirement to implement specific operational safety requirements. MIAMI:Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) for Palm Beach, Fla., Capt. Jim Fitton, reinstated the Palm Beach ... Read More>>>Back to Top National GMDSS Implementation Task Force to Meet Meeting to take place in Arlington, VA on 7 January 2010. DATE/TIME: Thursday morning 7 January 2010 at 9:30 am LOCATION: RTCM Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia (see rtcm.org/visit.php ) CHAIRMAN: Capt. Jack Fuechsel, USCG (Ret) FOR INFO: Jack Fuechsel at 703-527-0484 or e-mail: ... Read More>>>Back to Top PG-MACS for Deep Sea Supply Fifth PG-MACS contract secured for Deep Sea Supply newbuild in Brazil. PG has secured the contract with STX Promar Brazil, to deliver a comprehensive PG-MACS Hybrid Cargo Solution for their H/N 28. This vessel will fully comply with the ... Read More>>>Back to Top EMAIL UNSUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2009 The Maritime Executive. 3200 S. Andrews Avenue, Suite 100 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316